Raiders @ Broncos week......
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Shanahan butters up Nnamdi
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 4:26 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Mike Shanahan is either a charter member of the Nnamdi Asomugha fan club or is trying to lull the lonely Raiders cornerback into a false sense of security.
In a conference call with Bay Area reporters, Shanahan appeared to be lobbying to be Asomugha’s introductory speaker upon his inevitable induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He is the most underrated football player, to me, that I have ever been around,” Shanahan said. “For people not to talk about him as the top corner in the NFL, along with Champ Bailey, to me, is a crime.”
Shanahan was just getting warmed up.
“The people that throw at him usually get beat,” Shanahan said. “He’s not going to be challenged but he plays 100 percent on every play. He plays the run, he plays the pass, the guy is a competitor. He’s the most underrated top player in the game — I can’t say the history of the game because I haven’t been around here that long — but I can say in my 25 years, he is by far the most underrated player.
“I’ve never met him but I’m going to shake his hand after the game because I keep on looking for him but I never get a chance to talk to him. He’s one of my favorite players, even though he is with the Raiders. That shows you how much I like him.”
Asomugha wasn’t buying it.
“He’s lying,” Asomugha said. “He’s coming for me.”
Will he really?
Are the Broncos so confident in their passing game they’ll throw to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal regardless of what side they’re on? Or more likely, will they roll Cutler out to his right, and have him throw to his right, with Marshall and Royal taking turns going after Chris Johnson.
Cable is pushing the idea that Asomugha will get some work, the better to make sure the cornerback is ready.
“He’s certainly going to be challenged this week,” Cable said. “They’ve got two great wide receivers and they throw the ball extremely well. You’re going to learn a lot about him in a big time situation, because this weekend it’s on for him.”
More news, notes and analysis:
– Michael Bush took some reps at fullback, but if Cable is waiting for him to embrace the idea . . .
“Do I like it? Do I want to play there? Do I think I’m a fullback? No,” Bush said. “I just want people to know what position I play. I’m not a fullback. I think it’s a waste of my talent. I’m not trying to be any negative person that don’t want to help the team. I’m doing it so they can’t say I’m not helping this team. What can you say?”
Bush said fullback was suggested as an option when Oren O’Neal went down. His reaction then is the same as now.
“They asked me about it. I was like, ‘never done it, no experience. Don’t feel comfortable. Never had the kind of mentality to go run into a wall,” Bush said.
– Defensive end Derrick Burgess practiced Wednesday with no limitations and Cable said he expects him to start at left end against Denver. The only players who sat out practice were center Jake Grove and linebacker Ricky Brown.
Grove said if he can’t go this week, he will be back next week for sure. Brown indicated he is getting closer to playing. A good guess is neither will play this week.
– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell and wide receiver Chaz Schilens were limited at practice, but Cable said it was precautionary and that both should play against Denver.
– Guard Junious Coston, a starter for seven games in Green Bay, took reps at guard for the Raiders but won’t be ready to play this week, Cable said.
– Grove, who had been sporting a Unimbomber look in recent weeks with shaggy hair, got rid of most of it before the Raiders left for Miami. And he did it himself.
“Why pay $20 when I do just as bad of a job myself,” Grove said.
– Cable said Kwame Harris was informed he would be the starter and accepted his halftime benching against Miami in the spirit it was offered.
“Well, first of all, when you’re an honorable man, you understand criticism, you understand when you’ve made mistakes how to accept them, how to respond to them,” Cable said. “He’s a great human being, so he’ll handle it the right way and has.”
Shanahan butters up Nnamdi
By Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 4:26 pm in Oakland Raiders.
Mike Shanahan is either a charter member of the Nnamdi Asomugha fan club or is trying to lull the lonely Raiders cornerback into a false sense of security.
In a conference call with Bay Area reporters, Shanahan appeared to be lobbying to be Asomugha’s introductory speaker upon his inevitable induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He is the most underrated football player, to me, that I have ever been around,” Shanahan said. “For people not to talk about him as the top corner in the NFL, along with Champ Bailey, to me, is a crime.”
Shanahan was just getting warmed up.
“The people that throw at him usually get beat,” Shanahan said. “He’s not going to be challenged but he plays 100 percent on every play. He plays the run, he plays the pass, the guy is a competitor. He’s the most underrated top player in the game — I can’t say the history of the game because I haven’t been around here that long — but I can say in my 25 years, he is by far the most underrated player.
“I’ve never met him but I’m going to shake his hand after the game because I keep on looking for him but I never get a chance to talk to him. He’s one of my favorite players, even though he is with the Raiders. That shows you how much I like him.”
Asomugha wasn’t buying it.
“He’s lying,” Asomugha said. “He’s coming for me.”
Will he really?
Are the Broncos so confident in their passing game they’ll throw to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal regardless of what side they’re on? Or more likely, will they roll Cutler out to his right, and have him throw to his right, with Marshall and Royal taking turns going after Chris Johnson.
Cable is pushing the idea that Asomugha will get some work, the better to make sure the cornerback is ready.
“He’s certainly going to be challenged this week,” Cable said. “They’ve got two great wide receivers and they throw the ball extremely well. You’re going to learn a lot about him in a big time situation, because this weekend it’s on for him.”
More news, notes and analysis:
– Michael Bush took some reps at fullback, but if Cable is waiting for him to embrace the idea . . .
“Do I like it? Do I want to play there? Do I think I’m a fullback? No,” Bush said. “I just want people to know what position I play. I’m not a fullback. I think it’s a waste of my talent. I’m not trying to be any negative person that don’t want to help the team. I’m doing it so they can’t say I’m not helping this team. What can you say?”
Bush said fullback was suggested as an option when Oren O’Neal went down. His reaction then is the same as now.
“They asked me about it. I was like, ‘never done it, no experience. Don’t feel comfortable. Never had the kind of mentality to go run into a wall,” Bush said.
– Defensive end Derrick Burgess practiced Wednesday with no limitations and Cable said he expects him to start at left end against Denver. The only players who sat out practice were center Jake Grove and linebacker Ricky Brown.
Grove said if he can’t go this week, he will be back next week for sure. Brown indicated he is getting closer to playing. A good guess is neither will play this week.
– Quarterback JaMarcus Russell and wide receiver Chaz Schilens were limited at practice, but Cable said it was precautionary and that both should play against Denver.
– Guard Junious Coston, a starter for seven games in Green Bay, took reps at guard for the Raiders but won’t be ready to play this week, Cable said.
– Grove, who had been sporting a Unimbomber look in recent weeks with shaggy hair, got rid of most of it before the Raiders left for Miami. And he did it himself.
“Why pay $20 when I do just as bad of a job myself,” Grove said.
– Cable said Kwame Harris was informed he would be the starter and accepted his halftime benching against Miami in the spirit it was offered.
“Well, first of all, when you’re an honorable man, you understand criticism, you understand when you’ve made mistakes how to accept them, how to respond to them,” Cable said. “He’s a great human being, so he’ll handle it the right way and has.”
According one of these hatin' as fans on here, Asomugha isn't that great of a tackler and Asanta Samuel is a better corner. Props to Shannahan for keeping it real. Asomugha will get tested by Brandon Marshall... that's going to be a good match up because that Marshall to Cutler tandom is going to be around for a while. And Cutler has all the confidence in his arm and Marshall so we know Asomugha is going get tested.
